Anonymous Gift
by Tysonkaiexperiment
Summary: Complete. For the V-Day Contest of Off*Beat group on deviantart, my second Off*Beat fic. He never really celebrated Valentine’s Day, yet he figured he’d make an exception just this once, Dr. Garrets shouldn’t mind. Some ToryColin/Colin’s ToryMandy idea.


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**Disclaimer**: I don't own Off*Beat, that amazing piece of work is owned by Jenn Lee Quick, who seems to have gone missing over deviantart~!!! DDDD:

**Title**: Anonymous Gift

**Authoress**: Tysonkaiexperiment

**Warnings**: Ah shounen-ai, it's not really yaoi since it's rated Everybody. Lol.

**Couplings**: ToryColin with a bit mentioned ToryMandy (on Colin's part, anyways)

**Summary**: For the Valentine's Day Contest off the Off*Beat group on deviantart, my second Off*Beat fic. He never really celebrated Valentine's Day, yet he figured he'd make an exception just this once, Dr. Garrets shouldn't mind. Some ToryColin/Colin's ToryMandy ideas.

**Dedication**: None really, it's for a contest after all!

**Note**: This is my second Off*Beat fan fiction since my '06 one on this site called _Sun Shine Smile_, so please go easy on it since I haven't done any more since then!

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**Anonymous Gift**

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Dr. Garrets told him time and time again that petty things were nothing but a waste of money; that he shouldn't even bother with things like friendship, romance, or kindness. For the most part he agreed, it was just the way he was, and yet he really wanted to do something for Tory.

They didn't have much time to begin with, and now that he was busy trying to figure out what was happening between him and Tory the date was closing in on him quicker than he ever expected. He didn't think Dr. Garrets would mind if it happened this one time, it's not like he'd ever really done it before to get in trouble or anything.

Either way, he didn't even bother to hide anything when he came home with a little plastic bag several days after he decided to do it. Dr. Garrets had looked straight up from the papers in the folder he was holding only to glare at the small bag hanging around Colin's wrist. "What is that?" He snapped irritably, expression stern and eyes cold on the lightly swinging bag.

"Nothing." Colin answered, brushing past him to head to his room, "Something I just wanted to give to someone before the project was finished."

Dr. Garrets looked at him in surprise for a moment before he began to follow the dark-haired boy, "What have I told you about buying petty things like that? If it endangers our project or the time we have left—."

"It won't." Colin reached his door and slid in before turning to look at the older man, "And it won't hurt the project or the time limit, I assure you." He closed the door just as Dr. Garrets' mouth opened again, feeling somewhat content to put the bag on his desk. As soon as it landed with a '_thunk_' on his desk two of his cats began to sniff it. "Should I give it to him?"

He really knew he wanted to buy the redhead something, and he knew that Tory was thinking of something for him as well. The boy was obvious sometimes; it was something that amused Colin to no end. Either way he began to wonder if Tory would even like it, it was just something he'd bought on impulse and he realized he didn't even know if Tory would take an interest in it.

One of the cats meowed at him, rubbing against his arm in hopes of being pet; it was granted its wish before meowing again and sniffing the bag. "I think he'll like it." Colin told the cat, who meowed back before it found interest in the other sitting next to it; "I bet he'll think it's from Mandy."

Vaguely he wondered if Mandy would get Tory anything, she seemed to be interested in him, even if he probably had that idea all wrong. He'd never had this problem before, this problem that he experienced with Tory, and he really didn't know if it was common or not and if Mandy had ever had the same problem especially concerning Tory.

Well, now that he bought it he really had no other use for it besides giving it away, tit for tat and all that jazz. The only question was how, now that he realized he _had_ to give it to Tory, was he supposed to get it to the boy without being seen? He had a feeling Tory wouldn't be too fond of giving anyone gifts, much less getting one in front of a group of people, and he had to admit he did respect Tory…

Suddenly he stood, realizing he forgot something important. Tory had given him his locker combination once, in case he ever needed to use Tory's notes as a guide (their science teacher's recommendation) and seeing as Tory never really had anything in there to begin with besides school work he never really cared if Colin or Mandy had used it in the first place.

At dinner later that night he had managed to set up his entire plan (which was basically just talking to his meowing counterparts) before he looked directly into Dr. Garrets' eyes, "I need to go to school early tomorrow."

"How early do you need to be there?" The older replied, glancing at him in a slight annoyance. He usually wished to be told about these things earlier, but considering the date closing in soon he didn't think '_the good doctor_' would mind too much if he attempted to finish what he and Tory had '_started_'.

"Just an hour or so," Colin answered easily, not looking up from his plate once he said it, "I have to talk to the teacher for the make-up test since we had the meeting." He knew Dr. Garrets would eventually hear they had no test that day, but either way he couldn't go back now.

Dr. Garrets sighed and tugged at his tie, it was something he did whenever he thought. "We'll see." He told him, but Colin knew it was most likely a yes. Usually it was just the way he was, it wasn't like he asked for things often, so once in a while the Doctor didn't mind doing things for him.

Now he just had to make sure he beat Tory to school.

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"What the heck?" Tory's voice rang into the St. Peter's hallway early that February 14th morning at 7:48 in the morning. He had opened his locker to stuff his unneeded supplies into it only to be met with the object taking up over half his locker space.

"What is it?" Mandy's giggling voice asked as she stepped up behind him, probably to bother him as usual.

"A tree." Tory replied, poking the bag-covered tree before pulling it out to eye it. "A… Willow Tree…?" The card had some sappy '_Happy Valentine's Day_' message and on the back was some message about how to take care of the tree with Tory's name in computerized font.

"Like the one in that Disney movie??" Mandy's hands clasped together and her eyes were starry-eyed before she glanced towards the card, "Who's it from?"

Tory glanced over the card several more times before making a face, "It doesn't say." He told her, face scrunched up in confusion and eyes narrowed as he thought about it.

"That's a willow tree, isn't it?" Colin's voice sent shivers down Tory's back, his pale hand settled upon his shoulder as Colin leaned over to get a better look at the tree, "Where'd it come from?"

"There's no name!" Mandy cried out, fingers crossing over each other as she leaned in close to Tory, "Maybe someone that really likes you gave it to you!"

Tory sent her a look, "Do I look like the type for that to happen to me?"

Mandy's answer was covered by the bell's shrill ringing, she shrugged and replied she'd see them in class before heading off towards Amy and Mira who, once again, were glancing at them and whispering to each other.

"Those have meaning behind them." Colin told him as Tory stuffed the plant back into his locker, "They have several meanings, including magic, healing, inner vision and dreams. Someone's telling you to have good dreams."

Tory's cheeks flushed as he considered Colin's words, lately all his dreams had been about Colin and the Gaia Project, and, well, any '_good dreams_' about that was bound to be territory Tory had been avoiding rather well.

"Good luck with that." Colin waved to him when they landed in front of his classroom from their walk away from Tory's locker, "Maybe that '_inner vision_' can help you find out who sent it to you."

Tory hadn't even bothered to move after Colin sent that amused look at him, the dark-haired boy slipped into class and Tory vaguely wondered if Colin sent him the tree. "It couldn't be." The red-head muttered to himself as he walked to class, ignoring the looks he was getting by passing students, "That plant he had when I first saw him is coming back haunt me."

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Tke: I always wondered if there was a reason she drew him with a plant. Hahaha, it was so random, I guess. Either way, I couldn't really think of Colin giving Tory anything, except maybe a plant; I figured it'd be obvious-Colin without being too obvious.

Anyways, as my first Off*Beat fanfiction was so horrible; I doubt many people will remember Sun Shine Smile, so I hope this will make up for it. I'll probably be coming out with more Off*Beat work soon, too. Yay!


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